BIO VOWS TO IMPROVE THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

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The Presidential Candidate for the Sierra Leone People’s Party, Retired Brigadier Julius Maada Bio has said that his government will implement policies that will help to improve the agricultural sector. Bio made this pronouncement on Sunday, 25th February 2018 while addressing voters in Pujehun District.

He said that an improved agricultural sector will help to increase food productivity thereby reducing the high rate of hunger in the country as well as creating a platform for self-employment.
Bio said that despite all the hype in the agricultural sector, the APC government has not been able to increase food productivity in the country stating the absence of a robust food security policy, limited access to finance to enable farmers to acquire farm inputs such as improved seeds and technology, poor management of agricultural land and low investment in the sector as the reasons responsible for the major problems in the agricultural sector and the fight against hunger.

In a bid to combat all these problems and increase food productivity, the Presidential Hopeful stated that his government will increase budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector to 10% in line with the Maputo Accord, develop and implement mechanized commercial farming to transform the traditional subsistence agricultural sector, rehabilitate feeder roads linking farming communities to markets as well as establishing livestock clinics in all districts and building capacity of middle level manpower in providing health care to animals.

In the area of improving land management, Bio mentioned that his government will develop clear policies and laws relating to leasing of land, develop better environmental management mechanisms as well as defining and implementing the regulatory framework and effective enforcement mechanisms.

Bio said that his policies on agriculture will help to create a platform for sustainable and diversified production of food, including crops and animals on a scale sufficient enough to feed the growing population as well as providing gainful employment while maintaining the natural resource base and therefore called on voters to support his presidential bid.